Trading Standards has an important role in supporting and advising businesses, as well as cracking down on unsafe products and unscrupulous traders. We also give you access to safety warnings and safety advice sheets. All products sold to consumers must be safe.
Certain products such as toys, electrical goods, cosmetics and furniture have very detailed safety rules that must be followed by manufacturers, importers and retailers. Even products used by consumers in hotel rooms are covered. Regardless of whether they are covered by specific regulations or the General Product Safety Regulations, all consumer products that are sold should be safe, including second-hand goods.
For information on the laws that regulate the safety of consumer products, please refer to the Department of Trade and Industry
Product Safety website.
Trading Standards inspect, sample and test consumer products such as toys, children's clothes etc. to check for any hazards and assess risks. This helps to make sure only safe products are sold. Second hand goods as well as in the case of new goods are also controlled and should also be safe.
When safety issues occur a product recall notice may be issued for the return to the supplier of a batch or an entire production run of the goods.
Responsible manufacturers and distributors publish details in the national press and retailers in their own stores. Use the associated links to find out details of recent product recalls in the UK and what issues come up in Europe and internationally. The UK product recall website also lists recalled food items.
If you or a child has been injured by a product then please report the incident to us. Do not continue to use the product and where possible please retain it and any associated packaging and instructions for use as they may be required for examining and testing by Trading Standards.
Help and Advice
Consumer advice is now provided by Consumer Direct. If you have a problem with goods or services you have purchased, then advice is available about your legal rights under the Civil law and how best to resolve your complaint from the
Consumer Direct website.
